The Orphan and the Violinist
by Mickaroo
Summary: He had a sweet, caring laugh. "Well, two reasons. First, ever since we discovered Kureno was freed from the curse, we've all been waiting for someone to be born as the year of the bird. And, ever since you showed up, the birds haven't stopped singing."
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Wow, so this is my first fanfic ever, and I' actually kinda nervous. Short chapter, but I thought this was a good place to end it. Please R&R! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Fruits Basket series or characters or any rights.**

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prologue

The first time was on my seventh birthday.

I had a small birthday party at the orphanage; I blew out seven candles on top of a double chocolate birthday cake after an anything-but-beautiful arrangement of happy birthday was sung by my "family". I received one present; socks. But that was okay with me. I needed socks. It was freezing here at night, and my only pair had a huge hole in the toe and the heel. And these socks were red, my favorite color. So I thanked everybody and headed up to my room, alone. Wearing my socks. It was past curfew.

After a few minutes, there was a soft knock on my door. "Mizuki?" Another knock. "Mizuki, are you there?"

"Come in."

The door opened to reveal Katsu, a small boy only a few months younger than me. He had large blue eyes that took up most of his face, and tousled black hair that needed to be trimmed.

"Katsu! What are you doing here? Manami-san said it was time for bed."

Katsu sauntered over to me and stood near the end of my bed. "I-I.." he stuttered. "I just wanted to say happy birthday." he looked down at the floor guiltily.

As he turned to go, I stood up next to him, I was a good three or four inches taller than him, and placed my hand on his shoulder. "Thank you Katsu." I blushed then leaned in awkwardly to give him a hug.

A strange sensation tingled up my spine. I shivered, and suddenly, I wasn't hugging Katsu anymore. In fact, he had disappeared altogether. I felt small. I felt...not human. I looked up and found Katsu's huge face in my vision. it was so far up...so far away...

It had all happened so fast.

"Mizuki! What--are you okay? You're--you're--" Katsu face was mostly eyes. He was flustered, looking around, not quite sure what to do. Bending down, he scooped me into his hands and lifted me up so i was eye-to-eye with him.

"You're a bird!"

In his shock, Katsu dropped me and fled the room.

* * *

I hated school.

You put thirty kids in a boring classroom behind hard, uncomfortable wooden desks, mix in a short little man with a horribly fake toupee talking in a monotone voice about the reproductive system in plants, and add the sound of screeching chalk and the tick of a very annoying clock and what do you get? Twenty-nine sleeping kids. One of them is awake with glasses and acne, scribbling notes into his big notebook at lightning speed. The one dreaming to get into some big college and become the first man to mars or to invent the hover car or be president of the untied states or you fill in the blank. That kid is not me. I am the girl sitting in the back corner. I am the girl who wears too much eyeliner, who has no friends, and who has no parents. I am the girl who this school needs so every kid can look at me and say "Well at least I'm not her." If I died, if I disappeared, the school would go completely off balance and ruin this perfect little set the teachers and the school board built for us so we could "learn and be successful." Only the nerd believes them.

I think of all of this while Mr. whatshisface voice drones on and on and on and on..........

I need some amazing, life changing experience to shatter this state, this depression. Something big, and grand and different and wonderful. Something so--

The voice on the intercom shatters my thought process.

"Miss Mizuki Sohma please come to the office. Miss Mizuki Sohma please come to the office." *click*

I am Mizuki Sohma and today I will get exactly what i asked for.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: okay so I have no idea what the Sohma estate actually looks like, but this is how i always imagined it.**

**enjoy chapter two.**

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Nervously, I slid out from my desk and walked slowly to the door on the total opposite side of the room. I felt twenty-eight pairs of eyes on my back; nerd was still scribbling notes. The teacher's voice had stopped and he must have been watching me too. Twenty-nine pairs.

I wondered what could possibly be going on. I couldn't be in trouble; I was a straight B student, never missed a day of high school, and I never bullied anyone. More like they bullied me. But I couldn't have won an award or anything; I never, ever, spoke a word in school and I didn't do any extracurricular activities. Softly, I closed the door behind me and faced the long white hall.

I stood outside the door for a few seconds before I could get my feet to move. Slowy, but surely, I made my way down the hall, right turn, left turn. Thankfully i never met anyone. I passed countless classrooms that were all too the same. The school was like a fake hollywood movie; perfect, symtrical. White. White everywhere.

Finally, I came up to the office door, took a deep breath and opened it.

It was just an office. Long, tall counter, lost and found box, tall secretary sitting behind the desk with a fake smile platered on her face. I turned and saw horrible tan apolsterd, very uncomfortable chairs lined up against the wall. It looked like someone had thrown up on them. The only thing not typical was the man sitting in the furthest chair away from me, int he corner. The man was very tall and lanky. He had slick black hair tihe bangs that fell into his deep brown eyes. He wore a plain gray suit with a green tie; it didn't suit him. He actually looked quite...creepy in it. A smal pair of spectacles were perched on the tip of his pointed nose, giving him the air of a buisinessman. And as he looked me up and down, a smile grew on his face that certainly wasn't fake at all. Almost teasing.

"Mizuki? Mizuki...Sohma?" he asked, leaning toward me.

I nodded hesitently. Nothing happened for a second.

"Mizuki!"

Completely unexpected, the man nearly leaped off his chair and place his hands on my shoulders. Thank God he didn't hug me. "I have been looking for you! Where have you been?"

I leaned away from the man, not sure what to expect now. The secretary gave us an odd look.

The man, seeming to notice the secretary for the first time, suddenly assumed his "business" look again and turned to placed a hand on the small of my back. He led me out the door of the office and into the hallway. He spoke as we walked out the front doors and into the parking lot.

"My name is Shigure Sohma, and my reasoning says that you are my sister."

Those words were as sharp as a slap to the face. Sister? Was this man, uhh...Shigure or whatever, was he crazy? I was the poor hopeless girl in the corner of the classroom five minutes ago. And now i have a "brother"? This had to be some derranged dream. Either that or this man had escaped from an insane asylum.

Shigure stopped in front of a shiny, black car, and turned to face me. He must have seen the look of sheer doubt and disbeleif that colored my face. "Shocking, isn't it?" He mocked, flashing another perfectly white, straight toothed smile. He opened the passenger door, "Here, get comfy. It's a long drive."

Still not entirely sure, I lowered myself into the car. The seats were very soft. It felt foreign, probably very espensive. After I was settled, Shigure laughed, almost giggled, and closed the door on me. I stared at my hands in my lap the whole time he made his way around the car, into the driver's seat, and while he turned the car on. As he was about to back out, he turned to me and gave me a skeptical look. "Quiet one, aren't we? Oh, I'll make you talk. I will."

I just stared at my hands.

* * *

I felt a soft tap on my cheek.

"Wake up, sleepy head. We're here."

Slowly, groggily, I opened my eyes and lifted my head. My neck was stiff from sleeping against the window. Yawning, I rubbed at my eyes with my fingers.

"A five hour drive and you fall asleep on me? I wasn't that boring was I?" I turned, my neck protesting, and saw Shigure leaning against his window, facing me. I just nodded. Shigure laughed. "Oh, still the silent treatment? You'll talk soon enough." He reached across the car and patted my head. "We're home."

For the first time since waking up, I looked out the window.

It was beautiful.

A beautiful landscape of wildflowers, trees, and bushes surrounded me. There were small houses every now and then, each lot fenced in with a neatly trimmed hedge. We were parked in front of one of the houses; it was small, but homey. Intricate designs surrounded the doorframe, and hanging next to the door was a small nameplate that read "Sohma." But there was one thing missing; Life. The beautiful place looked deserted, save for a few cars parked in front of other identical houses. There were no children running around in the grass, laughing. No mothers out hanging clothes on the line, no smoke coming from any chimney. The place looked lovely, but felt lifeless and sad.

"Well? Do you like it?"

I didn't answer.

"Oh, come on! You have to have _something_ to say."

Nothing.

"Alright, fine." Shigure hopped out of the car and quickly made his way to my side. He opened the door and extended a hand to me. "Come on."

A cautiously took his hand, afraid it might disappear and i would end up back in Mr. whatshisface's biology class and realize it was just a daydream. But his hand was there, and it wasn't going anywhere. Shigure helped me out of the car and led me to the front door of the house. Placing his hands on my shoulders (he seemed to do that a lot) he looked straight into my eyes.

"Now, I want you to enjoy yourself here. Wander around. Don't get into trouble. Meet new people_; talk_. I'll be back in a while."

I lifted one eyebrow up to give the "illusion" that i was asking where he was going. This-no talking thing was getting fun.

"Oh come on! You can't just ask me?" I said nothing. "Well, then, I'm not telling you. I'll be back soon. Don't get yourself hurt on your first day."

It sounded like I was at a school or something.

After getting no response from me, Shigure leanded down to give me a short peck on the forehead before dashing back to his car. He waved to me as he pulled out of the driveway. Then he was gone.

I absentmindedly rubbed the spot Shigure had kissed me. I realized as soon as he was gone that he smelled like cinnamon.

Somewhere, I heard a violin.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Ugh, this chapter was hard. I love describing things and sometimes I feel I go overboard. I still feel like this chapter is a bit too much. **

**Short, again. I just can't write long chapters; I never could...**

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The violin was most likely the most beautiful sound I'd ever heard. It sang a sad, sweet melody that completely enveloped my brain for just a minute. It carried sadness and loneliness, the kind that makes you want to cry and laugh at the same time. This...this place, my "brother" (I still wasn't completely positive), it wasn't real yet. But this violin, the sweet music, if anything _this _was real. I closed my eyes and listened.

When I opened my eyes I was standing at the end of the driveway. I barely remembered walking here. I was surprised I didn't trip or fall; I was usually clumsy. It was eerie; this place was so familiar, I already felt at home. The music had started to slow even more and suddenly, with a few last minor notes, drifted to a stop. Silence hung so thick in the air it was almost visible.

Then another, quicker, happier song started.

The sound was lovely. For the first time in my life I felt peace. I felt sane, calm, wanted, loved....I felt like I had become a poet. I closed my eyes again, for a second, then opened them.

And the strangest sensation of them all--I felt like I was a bird again. I compared the rush of emotion to the feeling of the wind streaking past my wings. All the emotions of flight came back to me-- freedom, happiness. So many adjectives i can't put them into words...

Now I really felt like a poet.

The whole time I had been thinking this, I realized I had been walking. I was somewhere in Shigure's back yard, I figured. It was a quaint, green place, carpeted in lush green grass that was mowed to perfection. Small green bushes grew along the edge of the yard, which was rimmed in neatly trimmed green hedges. In fact, the only thing that was not green were the small pink flowers that grew on the bushes, and three stone pathways that led from the sliding glass door on the back of the house to three separate openings in the hedge. I wondered when Shigure had time to keep up with the landscaping--or if he did it at all.

Listening to the music again, the only sign of life in this place, I followed one of the paths into another yard that looked almost exactly the same. The only difference was the color of the flowers on the bushes--a light yellow instead of pink.

It was getting warmer; the sun was climbing in the sky. As I turned onto another path into another yard (pink flowers, again) I noticed the music fading. So, I turned the other way and followed that path. I was pretty lost, but I was so enchanted by the music now I would find the source of it if it killed me.

Then I realized what I was doing. I was stomping through _other people's _yards, people I didn't even know, as if I didn't care following some pretty music. How rude. I scolded myself again and again, but I couldn't make me stop.

And then I found it.

The yard was different than the others, even if just slightly. A rabbit, small gray and timid, sat in the corner of the yard, nibbling at some flowers planted in clay pots on either sides of the door. One of the pots was tipped over, dirt and roots spilling everywhere. I knelt down and started scooping dirt back into it, along with the flowers. The bunny never moved. He acted as if I was never there.

This was the house the music was coming from.

After I finished fixing the plants, another rabbit hopped out from the bushes and started chewing on the freshly replanted flowers. I thought I should chase him awasy but couldn't bring myself to. He was so close, almost on top of my knees.

A small, red bird landed on the top of the hedge and started singing along with the violin. I stood up, brushed my hands on my jeans and faced the door.

The third song I'd heard that day drifted to a close.

And I slid open the door without a second thought.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: And here he is! One of the most important characters in this fanfic. I hope I don't disappoint any of you--he was extremely hard to write. Sorry about the long update. I'll try to update faster, it's just I'm so BUSY!**

**And now, ladies and gentlemen, I present to you our violinist (though you probably all could guess who it is.)**

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He was tall, lanky, almost graceful. The fingers that held the bow were long and thin. He stood straight and tall; confident. The violin was tucked under his pointed chin. He had a pale face, topped off with a mass of light blonde hair. His smooth lips curved into a slight smile, and large, deep brown eyes looked up from the music stand to the unexpected visitor; me. He was beautiful. Almost graceful while he was standing. His eyes held such depth that I could've fallen into them. And I was at a loss for words. "Uh--um, I--I'm so..sorry--I--I just.." I realized this was the first thing I had said all day. My cheeks reddened. I turned quickly to bolt out the door.

A light hand caught my shoulder. "No, it's okay. Don't leave. My name is Momiji, Momiji Sohma."

I turned slowly. I could barely look him in the eyes. "Um, hello... I'm..."

"You must be Mizuki." I nodded. "Shigure hasn't stopped talking about you in days. He was so excited this morning because he was going to pick you up. All of us are anxious to meet you. Well, on the behalf of the Sohma family, I welcome you to the Sohma estate!" He did a little bow and reached out his hand. I shook it absentmindedly. His hand was warm and smooth; it took all of my strength just to let go.

"Thanks...um..." I reached up and scratched the back of my neck awkwardly. "I really love your music." the unexpected words slipped out before I even thought about them. I bit my tongue to prevent anything else stupid from coming out.

Momiji didn't seem to mind. "Thank you! That last piece was one I've been working on for a while. I--"

"Nii-san?" a quiet voice interrupted his sentence. A pair of huge brown eyes peeked around the corner of the room. Next a tiny nose, small pink lips and a pointed chin appeared. A little girl. She spotted me then, and said "Oh, hello." before fully emerging from the corner. She ran up to Momiji and hid behind one of his legs, only just a little taller than his knee, and poked her head around him too look at me. She had bright yellow hair--the same shade as Momiji's. She was positively adorable.

Momiji bent down to pat the little girl on the head. "Momo, this is Mizuki. The one Shigure-san's been talking about forever. She's finally here!"

"Shigure-san's sister?" Momo looked up at me again.

I nodded. She squinted at me, scrunching up her nose and her forehead.

"Which animal are you?" she asked innocently.

Before I could ask what she meant, Momiji turned and ushered her out. "Here, Momo, go help Okaa-san with dinner." Momo nodded, seeming to forget her question, and hurried back into the other room. I watched where she had left for a few minutes to see if she would return; she didn't. I felt Momiji's eyes on me.

"Who..who was she?" I asked timidly, turning to look at him.

"Oh, Momo? She's my little sister." That explained the similarities.

"She looks just like you." I said without thinking, again.

Momiji just laughed. "I always thought she was a lot prettier than me. She takes after my mom more. Hey, do you want some ice cream?"

Ice cream? I laughed to myself. Momiji was unpredictable. "Sure, I guess."

"Alright, stay here." Momiji disappeared out the same way his sister had.

He was back before I could even pull a thought together, holding two ice cream sandwiches, my favorite brand. They had served them at the orphanage sometimes on hot summer days. Momiji handed me one; vanilla.

"Come on, let's go into the yard. It's a beatiful day." He grabbed my hand with his free one and led me out the back door, which I realized was still open. He plopped down on the ground and patted the grass beside him. His sandwich was already open. I sat hesitently. For awhile, the two of us just sat there, thoughtfully eating our ice cream. It was delicious.

"Wha--what did Momo mean by 'animal'?" I asked after a few minutes. I was dying to know.

Momiji swallowed thoughtfully. "Well, since you're new here, you ought to 're familiar with the Chinese zodiac, right?" I nodded. "Okay, this is going to sound really wierd. We, the Sohma's, I mean, are cursed. We turn into the animals of the zodiac when we are hugged by the opposite sex. Let me guess, you turn into...a bird?"

In that second, a rush of different emotions hit me. I felt surprised, confused, relieved, sckeptical... How did this boy, whom I had known for all of five minutes, possibly know my deepest, greatest, darkest secret? It was actually kind of creepy. Too many strange things were happening today. Too strange to be real...but on top of that, somehow, this one crazy sentence had explained my whole life, and it almost made sense. Almost.

"How do you know?" I whispered after half-way collecting my thoughts.

Momiji laughed, again. He laughed a lot, though I didn't mind. He had a sweet, understanding laugh. "Well, two reasons. First, ever since we discovered Kureno was freed from the curse, we've all been waiting for someone to be born as the year of the bird. And, ever since you showed up, the birds haven't stopped singing."

I realized he was right.

"Okay....so what are you?" I asked.

"Me?" Momiji looked up at the sky. "I'm the rabbit."

All the rabbits. Could that explain all the rabbits? This was a day of explination.

"And...what is Momo?"I questioned.

Momiji looked at me sideways. "Oh, Momo isn't part of the zodiac. There are only twelve of born us at a time." I opened my mouth to speak, but Momiji held up his hand to silence me, already knowing what I would ask. "Get ready. There's Yuki the rat, Kyo the cat, even though he's not really in the zodiac, Shigure the dog..." I was surprised to hear my "brother's" name. Momiji didn't notice my surprise; he kept counting off people on his fingers. "Kagura the boar, Hatori the dragon, but he turns into a seahorse, Hastuharu, or just Haru, the ox, Ayame, Yuki's older brother, the snake, Kisa the tiger, Hiro the ram, Ritsu the monkey, Rin the horse, Me the rabbit, and you the bird. I guess that's thirteen, if you count Kyo. Kureno also used to be the bird, before he was freed. And then there's Akito, the head of the family."

Not only did I have a brother now, who turned into a dog, I might add, but I had a whole family, a "magical" family. My life was officailly turning into a fairy tale. Now I just needed a "happily ever after".

I didn't remember a single name, except for Kyo because it was short and Momiji had said it twice... wow. Talk about an entire life changing in an couple of seconds.

"So..." Momiji started. "Tell me about you. You've got to be interesting.

I sighed. "I'm not really_ that_ interesting. I guess, I was raised in an orphanage. It was small, but friendly, event though I never had many friends. I wasn't exactly popular, you see. I was always lonely...It's wierd, but I feel like...like I belong _here_." It was like I was spilling my guts to some psychiatrist. The words came out in a rush, more than I was used too.

Momiji looked at me indifferently. "You do." he said, as if it were the most obvious fact in the world.

And it was there, sitting by some boy eating ice cream, watching the colors of evening spread out across the sky, that those two words that made me believe that this whole place, the people, the music, the scenery, the birds...this place was real after all. And I _belonged_ somewhere for the first time in my life.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Wow, I expected this to be one of my shortest chapters. Turned out to be my longest! I thought Shigure and Mizuki deserved a little more "bonding time".**

**Thanks for reading! Please review.**

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When I got back to Shigure's house (I could hardly think of it being my own yet) it was dark. Momiji had shown me the way home since I was hopelessly lost. He seemed to know exactly where he was going, even in the dark. The estate was beautiful at night; it looked like some kind of painting under the stars, too perfect to be real. It was cold, but having Momiji's warm hand around mine was comforting.

Shigure was home; I could scarcely make out the outline of his black car in the driveway.

The door barely made a sound when it opened; it just swung silently inward. I wondered if there was a possibility that Shigure could be sleeping. I decided to keep it quiet just in case he was.

The inside of the house looked as much like Momiji's as the outside. Simple, white carpet. Beige walls interrupted every now and then with a painting or a picture. To the left of me when I first walked in the door was a good sized living room that extended all the way to the back wall, where the sliding glass back door was. To my right was a wide hallway with doors only on one side, where I guessed the bedrooms were. And right in front, jutting out from the back wall towards me, was quaint kitchen with white tiles and granite counter tops. That was all I could see of it; the kitchen was closed in a wall and there was only an empty door frame leading into it. The furniture was sparse, simple, but in brighter colors such as dark red or navy blue. And it all smelled like....cinnamon? I couldn't exactly name the sweet scent.

I stood there in front of the door, not sure what to do or where to go. I felt an awful lot like I was intruding on someone else's property. Especially since it was at night, it was like i was a burglar. There was only a single light on. The kitchen. Might as well start there...

A sudden voice almost scared me to death as I took a step forward. "Mizuki? Is that you?" It was Shigure. I breathed a sigh of relief. So he wasn't sleeping. At least he could show me what to do or where to go. Where my room was, or something of that sort. Right now, I just wanted to sleep.

"Um...yes." I half-shouted back so he could hear me. Who else would it be? I thought. But I realized there were probably a lot of possibilities in a place like--

_Crash. _

The sound split the air. It was sudden, and sounded like glass shattering. It made me jump.

The shattering sound came from the kitchen, the only light in the house, so I hesitantly walked through the door frame in front of me. What I saw was quite surprising, definitely not what I had been expecting.

But what had I been expecting?

Shigure was standing by the sink, frozen, shocked look and all, his hands still a perfect shape of the bowl he had been holding only seconds ago, which was now blue shattered bits on the floor. Luckily, it seemed to have been empty. He was wearing a kimono now, it fit him better, and wasn't wearing glasses. His eyes were round; his whole irises exposed. I examined the rest of the room quickly; it was actually quite large, with a square table sitting on the right side of me.

"W--w--What?" I asked quietly, trying to be polite. I don't think I pulled it off. I probably looked like a deer caught in headlights.

"Mizuki! You--you talked!" If at all possible, Shigure's face seemed even more surprised, as if saying it out loud truly confirmed it.

Oh! Duh! I had been talking so much in the last few hours that I had completely forgotten that Shigure hadn't even had the honor of hearing my voice once. I tried to remember why I hadn't talked before; and didn't come up with anything. If I discovered anything in the last hour, you know, other than huge, abnormally life-changing facts, I discovered that talking wasn't that bad. I kind of...liked it. I guess.

"Oh." I mumbled. "I'm sorry. Here let me help you pick this up." As I bent down to pick up the shards of ceramic on the floor, not quite sure what to do with them yet, it seemed Shigure snapped out of his "trance".

"No! No, don't worry about that." suddenly, Shigure seemed elated. "I'll get it later. It's late....I'll show you to your room." He placed a hand on my shoulder, and in reaction to his touch, I stood straight up. There were still bits of broken bowl in one of my hands, but I just squeezed them into my fist.

"Um...this way." Shigure said, slipping his hand from my shoulder into my hand; the one not closed around the sharp ceramic. He must have noticed me pick them up. But he didn't protest. At first, having his warm hand in mine felt awkward. His hand was much larger than mine, and not quite as long and thin as Momiji's. But after a few seconds, the gesture felt easy and natural.

"Oh! Wait!" Shigure exclaimed, throwing both hands in the air as he suddenly let go of mine. "How rude of me. You must be starving! Do you want something to eat? It's been a long day...."

"No, um....I'm fine." I interrupted his rambling. I had eaten a little more than just ice cream at Momiji's house--we ended up snacking a bit as it got later in his living room while we were talking. It was so easy to talk to him; Momiji seemed indifferent, even if you said something totally stupid. He would just laugh casually and continue talking as if nothing had ever happened.

"Okay..." Shigure continued, oblivious to my little memory spasm . "So, what did you do today? You got back awfully late." he asked suspiciously.

How did I explain? It had all happened so fast--completely by chance. Might as well start with the basics. "Well....I met a boy named Momiji. And--"

"Let me guess," Shigure interrupted, smirking. "You ate ice cream?"

"Um...yeah. Ice cream sandwiches, actually."

"Ha!" Shigure laughed. "Classic Momiji. So, did you go anywhere else or did you just hang out with the heartthrob all day?"

"I--I just stayed with Momiji..." I said quietly, suddenly self-conscious.

Shigure just smiled. "Well, that's good, I guess. Momiji needs a good, cute girl like you to talk to. All the girls at school are just a little...you know."

"What?" I asked, abnormally curious.

"Your room!" Shigure exclaimed, as if he suddenly remembered his previous topic. "It's over here. Follow me."

Beckoning to me, he turned and walked out the door of the kitchen and into the hallway on the left, flipping a lightswitch to illuminate the dark space. This time, he didn't bother grabbing my hand. When he reached the second doorway, he turned to make sure I was right behind him. I was.

"Sorry, I didn't have time to redecorate. But I hope you like it!" He said, before opening the door and turning on the light.

The room was bigger than I had expected. It was painted light tan; the carpet the same color as the rest of the house. There was a high ceiling, which was painted the same shade as the walls. A small--but very fluffy-looking--bed covered in a red comforter--which added to the fluffiness--stood in the center of the right wall, and right beside it was a dark-stained bedside table. A dresser stood on the opposite wall of the bed, and a matching bookshelf overflowing with books of every color filled a portion of the back wall. Next to the shelf was a large bay window, complete with window seat, framed with simple red curtains, overlooking the green yard.

I wondered why Shigure had wanted to redecotate it. I loved this room just the way it was.

"Wow." was all I could think to say. There was a moment of awkward silence as I took it all in. "I-I love it!" I finally stuttered. "Thank you."

Shigure seemed pleased; and relieved. "Well, good. I was afraid you would want something more...you know, girly."

_Girly? _I laughed to myself. Shigure still had a lot to learn about me.

"I'll just let you sleep then. You must be exhausted."Shigure patted my shoulder and pecked my forehead again. "If there is anything you need, just holler. I'm sleeping right next door." He pointed to the door next to mine, to the right. He winked at me. "Good night, sleep tight! Don't let the bed bugs bite!"

I watched him turn and start to walk towards his door. But just as he was about to turn the knob, a side of me I never knew existed decided to express itself out loud. "Shigure?" he turned to look at me. My throat caught for a second. "Thanks. For everything. You're a pretty great older brother."

I was not aware of it when these words entered my mind. But they spoke the truth, I realized.

"Awwww...thanks Mizuki." Shigure said, smiling widely before taking a few steps forward to embrace me in an unexpected hug. "You know what? I think you make a pretty great younger sister, too."

I felt the broken pieces in my palm strain against my skin as I hugged him back.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I actually wrote this chapter by hand, in the car, on my way to the middle of nowhere. I happen to think it's kind of boring...sorry. But there will be more stuff happening later so be patient, it's coming....eventually! I promise.**

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The sunlight streaming through my window was what eventually woke me up the next morning. Shigure was right; I had been exhausted. I hadn't wasted any time jumping onto my bed, not even bothering to take off my shoes or clothes.

For a second all was bliss. Laying on my bed in the sun, the first time I had woken up somewhere other than the orphanage in years.

Until a range of questions started bombarding my head.

_What will life be like now? _I certainly wasn't going to go to my old school, or ever see the children at the orphanage again. Would I go to school here? I figured I probably would. But would I make friends? Would I like it any more than my other school?

_How will I get my stuff here? _I had never owned much, but still, I didn't even have a hair brush, or toothpaste. Was Shigure planning on buying me and entirely new wardrobe? I hoped not. He had done enough already. Besides, I didn't need much. Just the necessities.

_Where _was _Shigure anyway? _I hoped he was still here. He seemed like an early riser to me, though, for some reason. And the clock next to my bedside table said it was past nine-thirty. I usually didn't sleep late....I wondered what time I had gone to bed. It had seemed late when...

_Where was Momiji? _An odd question, irrelevant, I thought, and sadly one I didn't know the answer to. But I just couldn't wait to see him again. Only around him did this place seem to really exist. One of the only members of my new family that I knew.

_Would I ever meet the rest of my family? _The other twelve who shared my secret. Well, I only had to meet ten, I guess, since I had already met Shigure and Momiji. These ten people were still mysteries; black silhouettes in my imagination.

Was_ this place just a figment of my imagination? _

For that, I had no answer.

* * *

I swung my legs off of the bed and my shoes touched the floor. I decided to take them off before I dirtied the white carpet; though I probably already had the night before.

It was while I was stretching out the sore spots in my back that I saw something on the floor at the end of my bed. As I stood and walked around to investigate, I saw that it was a good-sized, black suitcase standing up. A small duffel-bag that looked mostly empty sat next to it, slumping over. Both of these bags were unfamiliar.

Starting with the suitcase, I laid it down on it's back and unzipped it hesitantly. I didn't know why I was doing this; this stuff might not even be mine, for all I knew. But, I breathed a sigh of relief when I found all of my clothes and belongings inside. They all fit in one, big suitcase. That actually surprised me. How little I really had. But it was all here, I soon discovered. I opened the duffel bag and found my toiletries, which didn't even fill half the bag. I wondered when Shigure had had time to pick up all of my stuff and bring it here. These certainly weren't here last night. Question number two: answered.

I sat back on my heels, realizing how right that side-of-me-I-never-knew-existed had been last night, about Shigure being a good brother.

I undressed, then pulled on my favorite jeans and slid an old t-shirt over my head. It felt good to be wearing fresh clothes. I put my dirty clothes back in the suitcase, rezipped it, and made the bed. Thought I was getting used to this place, the room still felt like a guest bedroom to me. I thought it should stay clean.

Grabbing the duffel bag, I set out to find the bathroom. Luckily for me, it was right next door to me, on the opposite side of Shigure's bedroom.

I gazed into the bathroom mirror groggily; I looked horrible. My eyes drooped, dark cirles hanging threateningly underneath them. My hair was a tangled mass around my head, and my lips were dry and cracked. I was so pale, that at first sight I looked like a mindless zombie, in need of a a few more hours of sleep. But strangley enough I didn't _feel _tired, just looked the part, I didn't know how many hours I had slept last night. Enough to give me that feeling that I had slept _too _long, and make me dazed and uncoordinated.

But when I started brushing out my hair, which was practically a lost cause, I looked closer. I saw shiny black hair (though in need of a wash), deep brown eyes, a smooth complextion...

It hit me like a ton of bricks.

I looked like Shigure.

This concept scared me a little. Because if we resembled each other that meant....that meant the chances of him really being my brother were... practically undeniable. But why would I be afraid of that? I had already admitted that he was a good brother. Was I simply afraid of change? AFraid to except that maybe my life would never be the same...

I suddenly remembered what I had wished just the day before, sitting in Mr. Whatshisface's classroom...for a life-changing experience.

For awhile, it was just me alone with my thoughts.

After I was finally satisfied with how I looked (which was weird. I usually didn't care much. This place made me feel self-concious.) I walked into the hall and stared at the wall in front of me.

_What was I supposed to do now?_

I was starving, but I just couldn't bring myself to scrounge through Shigure's kitchen by myself.

So, I went into my room and consulted the bookshelf. It was overflowing with books of every color and age. I wondered why Shigure kept so many books around...I had actually always been a big reader, a quality no one would've guessed of me. But yet I pulled out a book that looked like something I wouldn't read in a million years. Pink, gushy, lacey...a romance novel. Not exactly my type. It was by some guy named Kiritani Noa. An author to aviod, though it thought that thought was a little prejudiced.

Before I could look at any more books, the doorbell rang. I put the book back and stood to get it, but by the time I came to the door, Shigure was already standing there with the door open towards me (Question three: answered), so it blocked off my view of the visitor.

"Oh, good," Shigure said, turning to me, smiling. "You're already ready to go!"

"What? Where?" I asked.

Momiji's head appeared from behind the door. "Shigure-san is taking you to get ready for school today, and he said I could come, too! We'll be in the same class, so he says I can help you 'prepare'! I think you'll love it!"

Oh. So I _was_ going to school. And Momiji would be there with me. Question four and most of question one: answered.

I had to admit, having Momiji with me would be a huge relief.

* * *

Our first stop was the school itself. It was big, bigger than my last school, and fancy. I officially became a student, and picked up my uniform. My previous school hadn't been nearly as nice as this one, and I had never had a uniform. I wasn't sure if I liked the idea much.

School was in session today; Momiji must have skipped. Having him there _was_ a relief, though I noticed a few girls glaring at me when they walked by us in the halls. When I asked Shigure about it, he chuckled and said "Well, Momiji kind of 'inherited' Yuki's fan club when Yuki graduated. He's got all the girls after him now."

I was proud of myself for remembering Yuki as one of the Sohma's Momiji had listed the other day.

Later, Shigure also pointed out a boy with strange-colored hair; white, but with black roots. "That's Hatsuharu, or Haru, Sohma. Sweet boy, but don't get on his black side."

Haru waved and smiled at us. He winked at me, probably guessing who I was. I remembered him from the list too, barely.

We ended up being out all day. We went shopping for school supplies, and I felt like a little first grader getting to pick out her pink folders and shiney new crayons, back when she actually liked school. Though I barely ended up with much, and none of it was pink.

We also just went shopping. Shigure shamelessly flaunted his money, even though I insisted I had plenty enough clothes, now that he had brought them to the estate. I found time to ask him how he did it. The answer was obvious; "I just picked them up before I came to get you."

At least Shigure had good taste; though how he had aqquired a good taste in women's clothing I don't know. Momiji jumped in to help whenever he had the chance.

At the end of the day, I thankfully took a long, hot shower. This day had been strange, considering I'd never shopped with boys before, and that I was going to a fancy school with uniforms, and that it was my full first day living here and I barely spent anytime actually at the house at all.

After I brushed my teeth until they finally felt clean for the first time in awhile, I curled under the covers in my room and fell asleep quickly, even more exhausted than yesterday. If that was possible.

And tomorrow would be my first day of school.

If anything, I was over-prepared.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: In this chapter I really put myself in Mizuki's character and tried to do some character developement. And-wait a second- is that a glimmer of plot I see??? This is one of my longest chapters, again, one I didn't expect to be this long. Enjoy! Please review!**

* * *

My first day at this new high school was....interesting.

At first, I thought it would be rough. Almost every girl in the whole school hated me at first sight, their glares actually quite terrifying....probably because I walked in hand-in-hand with the heartthrob of the enitre school. Momiji didn't seem to notice, and if he did, he didn't care. He just smiled and waved and walked me to all of my classes, like a true gentleman. I felt like I was in some movie; hot guy walks in with shy, ugly girl. Every other girl in the school is jealous, until they discover she is nice and caring to all of them. Then they all repent of their evil ways and realize life isn't perfect! Lesson learned; good night kids. Oh, and throw in a musical number or two!

I had a feeling this wasn't quite exactly the same. More like the North and South Poles.

I realized that as I was going through the day, I felt myslef falling back into my original character, the one that I had hauled around for the past ten years. Ever since that first time...

Thankfully, I had almost all of my classes with Momiji. Excpet for one, which I don't even remember the name of. Geez, I felt really dumb. Not a single girl in the whole class even wanted to sit by me. They all seemed to think of me as some parasite. It was like I had a bubble around me, keeping everyone out. Even the boys. I tried to sink into a corner somewhere, like I used to. But it seemed eveybody was whispering something about me and throwing glances at me everywhere I looked. Like I was invisible, but completely....visible? It was strange.

Not one person wanted to sit by me; except for one.

She had long black hair pulled back into a low ponytail, large, brownish-green eyes, and a sweet smile. She seemed nice enough as she approached me, maybe too nice. Like it was an act. At least eveybody stared at her and not me. _What is she doing? Who does she think she is? Is she crazy? _I could just see the questions in their eyes. People were so readable.

"Hello. Are you new here?" the girl asked, sitting next to me.

Um, duh? What; I've been going here my whole life and nobody decided to notice me until today? Uh-huh. yeah. right.

"Um, yes...I just...moved here." Was that the right way to put it? I wasn't sure; it didn't sould right. My voice also didn't sound right; quiet and hesitent.

"Well, welcome. My name is Chika. Chika Takahashi. What's yours?" she asked, this time flashing an over-enthusiastic smile at me, all of her braces-straight teeth showing. It honestly almost scared me.

"My name is...Mizuki. Mizuki Sohma." I answered quietly. This atomosphere made me not want to speak again, and I wished this girl would leave me alone so I could disappear.

_But maybe she is just trying to be nice, and it's not that bad?_

This was someone in my head talking. Not me. I didn't really like this person. She had shown up the first night I was here, and she annoyed me a little. Well, quite a lot. But sometimes, I guess, she was right...

"Sohma....isn't that Momiji and Haru's name? Are you guys related? I've heard a lot of rumors flying and--"

"Yes." I interuppted her, before she could elaborate. "Distantly related. They're--um... helping me get used to...living here." I kind of made it up as I went, though I realized it was pretty much true.

"Well, I hope you enjoy it here!" She smiled again, large, creepy, and I realized she was probably the teacher's pet who welcomed every new student this way in order to build herself a nice reputation. I wondered what she did on the weekends that she would need this reputation to keep her out of trouble.

This was how I remembered people, I classified them. Nerd, jock, teacher's pet...yes, it did seem extremely prejudiced. But it helped me feel comfortable in any enviornment. And, usually I was right anyway.

"Thanks." I mumbled, though I already enjoyed it "here" quite a lot. More than I had first expected, actually.

That was when the teacher started speaking, and we all shut up to pretend we were listening. That was always what my previous classmates would do. It wouldn't be long until notes were passed, students were snoring, only the nerd quiet and listening...

But I soon realized, as I watched, that this class was much different than my old class. No one was sleeping. No one was passing notes or texting under the desks. They were all quiet. They were all listening. This place was weird.

_Well, maybe it's good that they are listening! It means they all want to learn and be--_

Shut up, head.

Everyone was listening, except for me, because I was observing all of this while the lecture was droning on and on and on.....

Old habits never die, I guess.

* * *

Lunch was quite an event.

I think the girls were confused, because they all wanted to sit next to Momiji, but yet _I_ was sitting next to Momiji, and they wanted to avoid me. I was like they couldn't decide. Momiji and I sat at the very end of one table, across from eachother. Yet the girls sat at the other end of the table, staring at us. Shamelessly. Honestly, it would've embarrassed me to stare like that.

But stare they did. And they did it well.

Oh, and Haru was sitting next to Momiji. He smiled at the girls politely, then rolled his eyes towards us.

"Hello." he addressed me. "You must be Mizuki, the famous younger sister of Shigure!"

"You guessed it." I smiled. It was hard not to be polite around Haru, I soon discovered. "This place is nice..."

"Oh, it's not _that _great." Haru winked at me again. I accidently blushed.

I didn't blush. Ever.

Chika did end up sitting by me at lunch, eventually. It was after she had already eaten; she just left her table nonchalantly and sat by me. The stares didn't even seem to exist to her, even though they were coming from her previous table _and_ the girls at my table. She just turned and smiled at me. "So, how are you liking your first day of school here?"

How on earth did I answer that?

"Ummm....it's...interesting." It was almsot a question. But 'interesting' was the only word that could really describe it.

"Well, good. I'm glad you like it."

Excuse me? When did I say that I liked it?

_But it _is _alright. Sure it's different, but in a good way._

Ignoring the voice in my head, I tried to continue a normal conversation between normal friends.

But I don't think I pulled it off.

* * *

I had two classes with Hatsuharu, both of which I also had with Momiji. I think Shigure had made sure we ended up together.

I was amazed that Haru was in high school. He looked and acted much more mature. He was so kind, always polite to everyone, and funny. I wondered what Shigure had meant; "Don't get on his black side."

In the classes we were together in, all three of us sat together. Which seemed to create even more tension in the room. I guess Haru was a target for girls, too. I couldn't beleive how much this school overreacted to everything. Personally, I had never really been noticed before. Now I had been thrust into a spotlight.

_You brought it upon yourself. _

At first, I didn't agree at all with my head. Yeah, right! It was Shigure who brought me here. Him who had signed me up for school and--

But wait. It _was_ my fault. Because I had gotten in the car.

I couldn't beleive myself! What did they always teach you in first grade: _Never ever talk to a stranger. And ESPECIALLY don't ever get in one's car. Even if they offer you candy!_

Well, that part of my brain must not have been connected, because that day (what was it? Two days ago? It seemed like eternity) I had totally done the opposite. I had gotten in a stranger's car. _Shame on you, shame on you!_ I imagined my teacher's face and laughed to myself. Of course, that decision hadn't been bad at all, it had only brought good things. But I couldn't stop thinking: _What was I thinking?_ Would I just get whisked off in any car with any stranger? What if it hadn't been Shigure that day? Would I have gone?

Probably not. Honestly.

_I don't know...you are so gullable--_

Shut up, head.

* * *

We walked home, the three of us together, and it was pretty quiet. Which surprised me, because Momiji and Haru struck me as the talkative type. But, honestly, I didn't mind. It was nice to be walking home with them on either side of me, enjoying the crisp fall air. The scenery on the way home was beautiful; I tried to soak up every bit of it. Everything was officially starting to feel real; these people, this place...even the uniform I was wearing. I was starting to finally accept that maybe, just maybe, this wasn't a dream.

Haru left first. When we passed his house, Momiji stopped and waved, and I followed awkwardly. Haru smiled and wished us a good afternoon before slipping through his front door.

Now it was just me and Momiji.

"So? How did it go?" Momiji asked me as we started walking again.

"What, exactly?" I questioned back, feeling kind of dumb.

"Your first day of school, of course!"

Duh.

"Oh, um...it was a lot different than my old school, I guess. Interesting?" I stammered. I still wasn't that used to talking.

"Different? How so?"

I scrambled words together in my brain. "Well...my old school wasn't as nice. And usually girls didn't avoid me or glare at me...."

Momiji interrupted my sentence and laughed loudly before saying "Yeah, sorry. That was kinda my fault... and maybe a little bit of Haru's too. I don't know what it is about me... I really am sorry."

He was apologizing? "No really, it's fine. I don't mind the fact that every girl in school is jealous of me. It's kind of intimidating."

Where did those words come from? Like about half of the statements I had said in the past three days, this one didn't have permission to leave my mouth.

Momiji nodded, always indifferent, and laughed again. "What about Chika?"

"Hmm?"

"Chika Takahashi. She came and sat with us at lunch. She didn't seem jealous of you."

Oh, that girl. "Yeah, she was nice. She sat next to me in....in..."

"Biology? The _one_ class you don't have with me?" Momiji reminded me.

"Yes. Biology..." I said more to myself than to Momiji. I stared at my feet and shuffled along.

It was silent for a few seconds before Momiji suddenly spoke. "Oh, well here's your stop." He stopped in front of my house.

Wait...my house? We were here already? Not yet! I wasn't done talking.

"Um...alright. See you soon?" I asked passively, heading up the steps to my front door. To my surprise, Momiji followed right behind me; even so, I didn't turn around to ask why. I just stopped right in front of my door and turned reluctantly to say goodbye. "Thanks." I said hesitantly. "For everything. I think I really like it here...."

My sentence kind of stammered off into space as I stood there, unable to move under his penetrating gaze. He was just...looking at me. Like he was watching me. There was an emotion in his eyes that I hadn't seen in him since I met him...two days ago? Three?

Finally, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, then turned to open the door. But before I could get anywhere, I warm hand touched my shoulder.

I was about ready to ask "What?", but before my lips could form the "w" Momiji stopped me with his own.

I froze. I had never kissed anyone before. Especially not a boy I had only know for two or three days. At first, I wasn't quite sure what to do. My arms seemed locked to my sides, muscles tensed in immediate reaction to his touch.

But it only took a second for me to start melting.

Literally, I think I started melting. Suddenly, I was very warm all over and my muscles seemed to relax, seeming to..drift away? It's confusing to explain. Somehow, my arm found it's way around Momiji's shoulder, and I had to stand on my tip-toes to comfortably reach him. I felt his warm breath on my face, and last but not least I felt my heart...

It was at that moment that Momiji gently backed away.

"See you soon." he whispered, before pecking my forehead and dashing down the steps, into the street, and out of sight.

* * *

**A/N: Hey! All you people that are reading this! Click on that little button below here with the green text that says "Review this story/chapter" and type a little review into the box that appears! I would really, really, appreciate it! As always, thanks for reading.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: This was an awkward chapter to write. It was weird to write a "summary" type thing. But, this story is kind of split into two parts. Part one, where Mizuki is first learning about her new life and accepting it. Part two....I present to you (finally) the plot! So this chapter is trying to blend the two parts together and fill you in on what was going on in the four months or so .**

* * *

Many things happened in the next four or five months. But nothing so terribly interesting. Mostly, I was just trying to get used to my new life, and started accepting it. But it still took four months to sink in.

I eventually met the rest of my family, save for Kyo and Yuki, which Shigure said had moved far away a year ago when they graduated. One Saturday, Shigure (with Momiji, of course) took me all around the estate, and I got to meet everyone. It was kind of nerve wracking--I kept thinking for some reason that nobody would like me.

Of course, I was totally wrong.

We met Ayame first, and Shigure warned me that his cousin could be a bit "welcoming". He was right. Before Shigure could even knock, the door flew open, and I saw a very tall man (or woman?) with long, silvery hair fanning out from around his back and wearing....a dress? I wasn't sure. Before I could get much thinking done anyway, though, Ayame burst from the door frame, wrapped his long, thin hands around my shoulders and planted a big wet one on my forehead. "Oh Shigure!" he nearly sang. "She is more beautiful than even you! What a wonderful young one to have as a sister!"

Shigure beamed and blushed. "Oh, I guess your right..."

Hatori was next, simply becuase Shigure said "Ayame is never far from Hatori." Hatori was a doctor; the kind of doctor that looked like he could be really nice, if he smiled a bit more. He had a deep voice, and coupled with his black hair and dark eyes, he looked a little...evil? But he seemed nice enough as he welcomed me to the estate.

After that was Kagura. This time, Momiji warned me about how Kagura could be quite stubborn and impulsive, but really, she was very helpful and caring. She had a sweet smile and laugh. And she gave me a hug. I had never gotten a hug since my seventh birthday, from Katsuri. I tended to avoid people, and hugs, after that incident.

We couldn't stay long to talk to anybody. Sadly.

Next, I met Hiro and Kisa. They were together, playing a board game I couldn't name. They were very young, maybe thirteen or fourteen? But they were so cute and nice, though Hiro's mouth seemed to get away from him sometimes. I just wanted to hug them and--

Whoa, whoa, wait a second. Since when did I feel this way about thirteen-year-olds? It really creeped me out.

Ritsu was probably the strangest of them all. I couldn't even tell he was a man, until Shigure whispered it into my ear. Ritsu was strangely beautiful, with long hair, and wore a woman's kimono. And he was downright annoying. He was paranoid; that's the easiest way to put it. I think he said "I'm sorry!" fifty times in the twenty minutes I was there. In between apologies, though, he managed to welcome me here and wish me a good time. He did seem pretty nice, if you looked around the craziness.

Isuzu, or Rin, was with Haru when I met her. She was beautiful, with long black hair that almost reached her knees, and dark brown eyes; she looked like a model. Some days, I wish I could look like that. Haru seemed to melt over her. I had heard him talk about her before, but I didn't expect their relationship was anything like this. It was funny; it seemed like there was a shell around Rin that kept people out, a "personal bubble", that only Haru could get through. They just belonged together.

Last on the list was Kureno, the previous bird, and Akito, the head of the family. I was especially nervous about meeting the latter. The title "head of the family" made my stomach turn. They lived in the main house, together, I guess. The walk down the hall seemed to last for an eternity.

When I finally did meet them, it wasn't half as bad as I had suspected. Akito seemed nice enough, though he kept Kureno close. Kureno was very nice to me, he treated me as one of the family right away. I seemed to connect with him better than the other family members I had met that day. Momiji had told me that Kureno used to be the bird, like me, but his curse was broken just before I was born. It did surprise me that he stayed by Akito like a loyal dog, though. From what I had seen, it looked like most of the other zodiac members weren't very warm towards Akito. But they all held the upmost respect for him; I could even identify the own feeling within myself. It was like I didn't have a choice; I had to love him. But i guess I didn't really mind. Akito was very reserved, and didn't speak much. But I had heard from my "tour guides" that he could have quite a temper when it came down to it. I made a promise to myself never to get on his bad side.

I wished that I could have met Kyo and Yuki, but nine family members was alright with me for one day. Shigure promised me that he would take me to meet them sometime, anyway.

Momiji and I grew much closer with every day that passed. He would walk with me to school every day, and the staring started to go down. People started getting used to me, to us. Momiji would also walk me home every day, and he would kiss me just like the first time. Sometimes, he would stay and help me with homework or just talk, but others, he would leave and go back to his house. And sometimes, I followed him. Many times when I followed him home, I would hide in the hedges behind his house and listen to his violin.

I know, it was a little stalker-ish, but I couldn't help it.

The voice in my head never did shut up. It kept coming back, with more intensity each time. On rare occasions, I would submit to it.

My life was just starting to settle, the planets finally aligning. I was living in bliss; those four months were among the best months of my life. When suddenly, after four months of peace, out of nowhere, something happened that threw all gravity off balance and I saw my life begin to fall apart again.

* * *

**A/N: As always, please please review and thanks for reading!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: This was fun to write! I finally get to right some of the real story! There is a light at the end of this tunnel. Let me know what you think!**

* * *

_He looked at me in horror._

_"Now you?" he asked harshly. _

_"But..I--" I stammered._

_He slapped me, hard, across the cheek, his nails scraping at my skin. I tasted blood._

_"No!" he nearly screamed. He shoved me up against the wall, and my head slammed the drywall. For a second I couldn't breathe. Then my eyes closed against my will. _

_"Listen--" I started again, but he already had a hold of my arm and was twisting it very unnaturally. Pain splintered up my shoulder, and then abrubtly halted. I felt nothing. _

_When I opened my eyes, my view was swimming, colors mixing with blacks and whites, everything blurring. I reached my hand and touched my fingertips to the back of my head where it had hit the wall. My hair was wet and sticky. _

_I took one more blow to the stomach before slumping to the floor and losing conciousness._

_I love you...._

* * *

_Bleep. Bleep. Bleep._

My alarm clock very annoyingly informed me that it was six o'clock in the morning. It had been just a dream. I calmed my breathing, then rolled over and hit the snooze, then snuggled into my blankets for just five more minutes.

_Bleep. Bleep. Bleep._

Five minutes up. The dream was forgotten. Time to awaken!

I dragged myself out of bed and stared out the huge window for a moment. It was just starting to get light outside, the murkey grey of dawn coloring the horizon. Reluctantly, I turned from the beautiful scene and to my dresser, which was full of the foreign clothes that Shigure had bought me the second day I had been here. I pulled out a random top and a pair of jeans from the bottom drawer, which was where I kept all of my original clothes. Then the bathroom; straightening my hair and doing makeup. I took showers in the evening so I didn't have to get up even earlier in the morning. It was a long walk to school, so I had to be ready almost an hour before school actually started. Fortunately, I was ahead of schedule as I moseyed out of the bathroom and into the kitchen to join Shigure for breakfast.

"Morning, sunshine." He called to me, his nose in a book like always.

"Good morning." I sighed as I got myself some breakfast. The first meal of the day had been a quiet matter lately. It seemed that after two or three months, Shigure and I just simply ran out of things to say at this time.

I ate slowly, taking my time, so that by the time I got up to brush my teeth I was almost late. Still, I brushed for a solid three minutes before I grabbed my backpack and a scarf, and headed out the door to wait for Momiji. Haru didn't walk to school with us in the morning; he had some early morning classes that he went to. I don't think I could stand going to school any earlier than I already did.

It is freezing out here. Winter was just starting to ebb away, but a thin frost blanketed the ground this morning. There were only a couple months of school left, and Momiji and Hatsuharu were graduating this year. I would be graduating next year, and I didn't even want to think about going a whole school year without either one of them to keep me company. I still didn't have many friends, except for Chika who I soon discovered was very smart and kind. But our friendship never really reached outside of the school grounds; she didn't know my address or phone number or anything. But I honestly didn't care. It was still nice to have a friend in school to talk to.

I was shivering violently. Where was Momiji? I checked my watch--one of the only possesions that Shigure bought me that I regularly wore--and it informed me that I was already three minutes late. Momiji was never late. What was he up to?

Before my fingers froze I turned and opened the door to wait inside the house. It was wonderfully warm. As I thawed out, I peeked out one of the windows to see if Momiji was coming.

He wasn't.

"Mizuki! What are you doing here? You'll be late!" Shigure approached out of nowhere, making me jump. "Where is Momiji?"

"I don't know...he isn't here yet..." I stammered, facing him.

Shigure sighed. "Well, you go to school. Momiji's got to be here somewhere. He'll catch up to you. You're already late!" He ushered me out the door before waving goodbye. "Hurry!" He called to me.

So, I began the lonely walk to school. All on my own. A whole entire school day...all on my own.

I shivered and pulled my scarf tighter around my neck.

* * *

School wasn't too horrible, except for the fact that I was lonely and tired and cold. And worried. Momiji didn't show up the whole day, and I couldn't help but think something had happened to him.

Or, he could just be sick and I was overreacting. But wouldn't he have called me and told me that he would't be at school today? I figured he would.

So, sick with worry, I started my first school day since I had been here without Momiji. I was late for class, a whole seven minutes late, and the teacher gave me a harsh glare as I slipped into my seat. At least he didn't comment on my tardiness or Momiji's absence. The class passed slowly, and I couldn't even tell you what we were talking about that day. All I did was stare out the window and worry. It was beginning to snow now.

At least four girls approached me within minutes after the class, asking "Where is Momiji?" "Is he sick?" "Why isn't Momiji with you?" It was probably the first time they had ever talked to me. I actually generated quite the crowd. I don't think I was ever so thankful for class to start as I was at that moment.

The next class period was filled with stares and questions unlike I had ever had before. I just slumped down into my seat and tried to be invisible.

At least I had Chika in my third hour, and Haru at lunch. In my next class though, algebra, I didn't have anybody, and the pattern of staring and whispering repeated again.

"Mizuki Sohma, please come to the office. Mizuki Sohma, please come to the office." the intercom blared at me out of nowhere.

My muscles locked up. This was definately not the day that I wanted to be called to the office. Anything could have happened. I was frozen to my seat, not wanting to move. After I thawed out a bit, though, I reluctantly scooped up my stuff and scurried out the door to avoid the stares that were following me. Even the teacher had stopped his lecture in curiosity.

I rushed down to the office. After all, the last time I was called to the office, something wonderful had happened. Maybe I was just called down for them to tell me I had a detention for being late. But they wouldn't call you to the office for that, would they? I hoped they would. And maybe I just had a message from Shigure telling me he would be home late, or...or...

I ran out of possibilities just as I walked in the door of the office.

And I saw Shigure sitting there with a not-so-good expression that I never wanted to see him wear on his face.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Sorry for taking so long to update! And on a cliffhanger too! Geez. Well, it's finally here, so _review_ it! Thank you for reading!**

* * *

"Momiji...." Shigure started.

I braced myself against the seat. We were in Shigure's car now, after he silently led me out to the parking lot. It was freezing, and I was shivering, even in my coat and scarf.

I took a deep breath and listened as Shigure continued; preparing myself for whatever news it would be.

"Momiji was hit by a car, earlier this morning or late last night. Yuki found him as a rabbit on the road, and brought him to Hatori."

My heart sunk, and I tried to be optimistic. He probably wasn't hurt that bad, or.....to distract myself, I lingered on a question in the back of my mind: How did Yuki get here to find him?

"Hatori managed to bring him back to health enough so that he became a human again, and then we took him to the hospital." Shigure continued, giving me a glance. "He isn't badly hurt, but he's been unconscious for a long time now..." he trailed off, as if waiting for a reaction.

I nodded.

"Where did...Yuki come from?" I asked distractedly. Shigure saw right through my emotions, but he still answered the question.

"Yuki is visiting Ayame, as he plans to do every spring. He just got in this morning, and found....him." Shigure said, as if afraid that saying "his" name would set me off.

I had never seen Momiji as a rabbit, as I had never seen any of the zodiac animals. Neither of them had seen me either. I don't even know if I had seen me as a bird.

_Momiji is probably the cutest little rabbit ever..._

Yeah, I'll bet your right about that, head.

But all of this thinking was off of the point. I needed to get rid of distractions.

Momiji was hurt.

This information saddened me and worried me. How bad was he hurt? Was it the kind of "hurt" where the doctor told you with a frown that "He may never walk again?" Or the kind where he would be out of the hospital tomorrow? Shigure had said he wasn't hurt that bad, but he was still unconscious....I just hoped he wasn't in any pain. I hoped Shigure was taking me to see him. I needed to see him. Maybe he would be awake when I got there?

Momiji was alive.

This information caused my heart to rejoice. I had heard of people getting hit by cars and dying instantly. But Momiji had lived, and I would see his smile again. I would talk and laugh with him again; eat ice cream with him again. He would kiss me again. I would listen to his violin again...

My heart went out to all of the people in the world who weren't so lucky.

During my thinking, I realized that we had pulled up to the hospital, and that Shigure was looking at me with a cautious expression, probably wondering if I was alright. "So, do you want to see him?" He asked.

"Sure." I nodded. "Let's go."

Shigure shook his head and got out of the car, then walked around to my side and opened my door. "After you, miss." He said.

I got out of the car with a smile at Shigure, reassuring him. The wind was whipping the snow around so it stung my face where it hit. "It's freezing." I shivered.

Shigure wrapped his arm around me as he led me to the entrance of the hospital. "It's an unexpected cold front. It should pass quickly."

* * *

When we got to the waiting room, I saw a young beautiful woman that I could easily identify as Momiji's mother, along with Momo, Hatori, and a silver-haired boy that I guessed to be Yuki from the pictures I had seen.

But today, the last thing I cared about was meet new family members.

I sat next to Momiji's mother, as Shigure went up to the lady at the front desk. Momiji's mother looked at me and smiled.

"It's not that bad. He just has some head injuries and a broken arm. He'll probably be out of here by tomorrow, if he wakes up." She must have seen the worry in my face, as her voice was soothing and comforting. But even so, I detected a hint of worry not unlike my own, hidden within it.

"Good." I said, attempting the same technique of hiding my worry. I don't know if it worked.

Momiji's mother smiled at me again, gentle, loving, and I thought that she was the kind of mother I would want to have. If I had one.

"I just wanted to thank you, Mizuki." Momiji' mother began. I turned and looked at her curiously.

"Why?" I asked.

"Well..." Momiji's mother started, and I thought that it looked like she might blush. "Just, for bringing Momiji back, I guess. Ever since Tohru went away, he had been a little...sad. He never played anymore. But when you came...that day was the first day I had heard him play violin for a long time. I think you gave him some new hope, that there really was someone out there for him...well, I don't know."

The words startled me. I knew who Tohru was, that was Kyo's wife, but what did she have to do with Momiji? _Ever since Tohru went away..._did Momiji miss her? A slight jealousy, a feeling foreign to me, rippled through me at the thought of Momiji with _another girl. _Immediatley, I was embarrassed. Why should I be jealous if Momiji was a little....sad?

The sound of someone approaching startled me out of my thoughts. It was Yuki, he had come to sit next to me, on the other side. Shigure had taken Yuki's old spot next to Hatori.

"Hi." he said to me. He had a very feminine face, and eyes that one could easily fall into. What had Shigure said awhile back? That Momiji had "inherited" Yuki's fan club...I could see why every girl in the school would have a crush on him.

"I know this probably isn't the best time for introductions, but my name is Yuki, though you probably already knew. I'm Shigure's cousin. Well, your cousin, I guess."

I smiled a strained smile at Yuki. "Nice to meet you." I said. And it _was_ nice to meet him. Only one more to go....

Just when Yuki opened his mouth to say something more, the nurse came out and beamed at us. "Are you ready to see him?" She asked.

I was the first to stand up.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Sorry for a long update...my schedule is so busy these days; especially around Christmas. But now that Christmas break is here, I feel like I've got all the time in the world! So updates will be much faster now. At least for the next two weeks. ;) **

* * *

He looked so peaceful. His eyes were closed and his face looked innocent and worry-free. Except for all the bandages, he could have been the happiest looking boy on earth.

Except for all the bandages.

There was one wrapped around his head, one across his cheek, a cast around his arm....he looked like he had been attacked. Which he really had been attacked; by a vehicle.

"He suffered from a complex concussion, and a minor brain injury. I don't think it will permanently effect him, but I can't guarantee it. His right arm is broken, and he has some nerve damage. I imagine he won't fully recover movement of his right arm, but it is possible. Overall, he isn't seriously injured, and I think he'll be out of here in two to three days, if he wakes up." The nurse casually informed us of Momiji's injuries, as if she was a tour guide.

_If he wakes up...._

I had heard that saying a lot lately. If he wakes up, he'll be out of the hospital. If he wakes up, he should recover fully.

But what if he didn't wake up?

No. I couldn't allow myself to think that. He would wake up, soon. He would get better. I'll see him laugh again.

His mother crossed the room and approached Momiji, caressing his face. The side that wasn't bandaged. Momo followed her, and stood on her tiptoes to see her older brother.

"Do they know the cause?" Hatori asked from behind me, making me jump slightly. He had a deep, sulky voice.

The nurse shrugged. "We can only guess it was a car accident, considering were he was found...but for some reason, that just doesn't seem right to me. The injuries don't really match up." The nurse shook her head. "But I'm so superstitious...don't listen to me. His condition is already improving."

I walked up beside Momo and took a closer look at Momiji. I hoped he wasn't in any pain, but his face looked so at-ease it was hard to beleive that he might be. I wondered what he was dreaming about. Shigure came up behind me and put a comforting hand on my shoulder, though it wasn't necessary. I wasn't sad or depressed, or worried...

_I don't think it will permanently effect him, but I can't guarantee it...._

Okay, maybe a little worried. But he was alive, and that was all I could ask for.

* * *

Shigure brought me home, then left like he did the first day I had come. Kiss on the forehead and everything.

I numbly turned and walked into the house, and just stood and stared for awhile. It was almost starting to get dark out; I guessed it was about five o'clock. The house was dark, eerie almost, for the first time since I had been inside of it. It was just....silent.

I had a strange...flashback, I guess. I remembered the first time I ever walked inside of this house. I remembered my first day of school. I remembered my first kiss on the doorstep, and I remembered hearing that beautiful music for the first time.

Jeez, if anyone visited the inside of my head, you would think Momiji had died or something. But he hadn't. So I didn't have to have creepy flashbacks and feel so...miserable.

I sighed, deep, almost a yawn, and moseyed to my bedroom. I just needed to calm down, breathe, and collect my thoughts. I slumped onto my bed, and my back jabbed into something hard and painful.

I sat up immediately, and turned to see what I had laid down on. It was a book. A big, solid, brown book. I picked it up, it was pretty heavy, and set it in my lap. It was dark in my room, so I reached over to my bedroom table and flipped on the lamp.

It was a scrapbook. I opened the first page. In the center was a large picture of me and Shigure, smiling as if there wasn't a care in the world. I remembered that picture. It was right after my second day of school. Shigure took me and Momiji and Haru on a picnic together. I hadn't really noticed that he had a camera.

Looking at the two of our faces, it would be hard to believe we _weren't_ related. The similarities were unmistakable.

The next pages were filled with more pictures from the picnic. There was pictures with me and Momiji, and me and Haru, and the three of us. Now that I thought about it, I did remember Shigure having a camera, and snapping pictures willy-nilly. I hadn't really thought about it at the time.

I turned another thick page, and was faced with a picture of Momiji, playing his violin. This was obviously a younger picture of him; he was so short and small. I had never seen this picture before, but he still held the violin like I was used to.

On the next page, a picture of me and Momiji waving over our shoulders on our way to school was featured, surrounded by smaller pictures of us two. I almost choked up, for some reason. I remembered every one of these pictures; but I had had no idea that Shigure was planning to do this with them.

Pictures of me with each of my family members populated the next few pages. I looked like Shigure had painted a little cartoon of each of the "zodiac animals" I was standing with. The last picture in the series was one of me and Momiji, with our arms around each other. He was so _tall. _I had never noticed how much taller he was than me; almost a whole head. Next to it was two little paintings; a little red bird and a white rabbit with black-tipped ears. I drew my fingers across the rabbit; he was cute, just as I had expected.

I turned the page.

A picture of a rabbit, cream colored with black tipped-ears, sticking it's nose into the camera, stared at me. It looked like it was smiling, or even laughing. It looked at me with knowing eyes; ones that I recognized....

A single tear dripped right into the center of the picture.

I wiped at my eyes with the back of my hand and slammed the scrapbook shut.

To distract myself, I decided to take a long, hot shower. The steaming water felt good on my muscles, and it almost brought peace to me, if even for a second.

The dream I had had earlier today came back into my mind. I couldn't quite remember it, except that I had woken up breathing heavily and sweating. It must have been a nightmare.

I dressed in my most comfortable pajamas, slipped into my bed, and closed my eyes. Sleep didn't come. Tears did. I tried to wipe them away, but they fell steadily, as if from a tap. Why was I crying? I wish my eyes could just run dry. Then my pillow wouldn't be wet, and I could sleep and escape these feelings.

I took a peek at my clock. Well...it _was_ only 7:30. That was probably a big part of the whole not sleeping thing. But there was moonlight streaming through my window, and it felt like it was really late.

A soft pressure at the end of my bed alerted me and I sat up immediately. The moonlight illuminated Shigure's face, cautious-looking. When he saw my face wet with tears, he scooted closer to me and wrapped his arm around my shoulder.

It surprised me that I didn't' transform, but why should it? After all, I had figured that if two members of the zodiac hugged, it wouldn't really matter. But at the moment, I didn't really care.

Shigure looked down at me and said "You know, he'll be fine. I promise. There is nothing to cry about."

I nodded solemnly. It wasn't satisfying to Shigure.

"Well, I guess it's okay to cry sometimes. You know, let it all out..."

Before he could finish, I buried my head in his side and sobbed.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Alas, Christmas break came, and Christmas break went...and I only updated once. D: I'm so sorry! This time I'm not gonna promise a fast update because every time I do, I don't fufill it. **

**D: **

**But at least this chapter is here, now. Thank you so much for reading, and please please review!!  
**

* * *

I slept in. Late. It was inevitable that I wouldn't go to school. Shigure didn't bother to wake me up. And I think he turned off my alarm. I had cried into most of the night, leaning into Shigure. We didn't talk, save for one instance.

"Mom-Momiji's mom told me thank you." I mumbled to Shigure.

"Really?" He asked, in a voice that seemed like it was trying to cheer me up. "Why?"

I looked up at him with puffy eyes. "She said that I had 'brought Momiji back.'"

Shigure looked at the ceiling and sighed. "Well, she's right you know. You really did. For awhile there, we all wondered where our old Momiji had gone." He glanced down at me and sighed again. "Momiji's mom told you that?"

I nodded.

"You know..." Shigure started, biting his lip and seeming to debate as to what to tell me next. "There is something about Momiji's mom I never told you about. She...well,she doesn't know that she is Momiji's mother." My eyes widened, but he continued. "When he was born, and she held him, he transformed, and it terrified her. She always...hated him. Eventually she begged Hatori to erase her memories of him altogether. She had no idea that she was even related to him....and she still doesn't. Momiji went to live with the servants and the maids. He barely ever saw his little sister, Momo. Actaully, it was Momo that brought him and his mother back together."

Momo? Does she know that she is Momiji's little sister? She had called him Nii-san, but was it just an affectionate title?

"Momo wanted to learn how to play violin like Momiji." Shigure continued. "She finally mustered up the courage to talk to him, and he started to teach her. They became very close, almost like the brother and sister that they really were...of course, Momo's mother became involved, but she has always taken a liking to Momiji for some strange reason." He chuckled. "She took him in, after Momo begged him. She always tells me that she is so proud of Momiji, almost like a son..."

Shigure's voice trailed off, and now I had another thing to cry for Momiji about. It must be so much worse for Momiji than it was for me; I simply had no mother. Momiji had a mother, whom he saw every day, but she didn't even know that she _was_ his mother...

There was one thing that puzzled me that night; why was I crying, really? It hadn't been my fault. Momiji would be fine; he would live, we were positive.

But why couldn't I stop crying?

Some where deep inside of me, I did blame myself. I don't know why. Somehow I convinced myself that Momiji would have never been hurt if I was never alive...but none of it added up. Really, there was no reason to go and blame myself.

But the blame had to be forced on someone, and I was the easiest subject.

When I finally woke up, my watch bleeped to inform me that it was eleven o'clock. My eyes were terribly sore and my throat was scratchy. It looked warmer today; the sun was shining and there was some green showing. I groggily stretched and moseyed into the kitchen. I fixed myself a mug of warm tea to soften my throat, and it helped more than I expected.

I didn't really know what to do that day. I wandered about the house; dazed. Shigure was nowhere to be found, but I welcomed the fact that I was alone. My brain carried on conversations with itself. My body was in a state of half sleep and half shock.

I found myself on our porch, looking into the cool late-morning landscape. I surprised myself by walking off of our porch, out of the lawn, and onto the sidewalk only wearing my pajamas. I continued my journey along the path aimlessly. I traced routes all over the Sohma estate. There was practically nobody anywhere. All at school, or out running errands, I guessed.

I kept walking, almost hypnotically, until I heard a sound I recognized.

You guessed it. Violin music, coming from a very familiar house.

It wasn't Momiji, I could tell you that, but it sounded close. I approached the back door and peered through it and into the living room beyond.

Momo was standing, with her back to me, holding a tiny violin in her small fingers. She unsurely dragged the bow across the strings, making a tune that almost sounded familiar.

Sitting right in front of Momo was her mother, who had seen me. She didn't comment on my creeper-like watching of her daughter. She just looked at me, and I saw that her eyes were slightly pink, probably mirror images of my own. I looked straight back at her, and we seemed to connect, just for a moment.

Then, she smiled at me, and I smiled at her as I turned and went on my way. I wish I had known her name.

When I got back to the house, I noticed that Shigure's car was in the driveway. Good, at least I would have some company.

But as soon as I entered the house, it was obvious I wasn't staying long.

"Mizuki!" Shigure called, and ran from the hallway after hearing me enter. "Where on earth have you been! I've been looking for you..." he stopped for a moment, taking in my appearence. I was still wearing my pajamas, and my hair wasn't brushed. I still felt that my eyes were puffy.

"Quick! Change, and then we are headed over to the hospital." Shigure ushered me into my room.

For a second, my heart seized up. "Why are we going to the hospital?" I asked uncertainly.

"It's Momiji. He's just woken up and he wants to talk to you. Alone. Now, hurry up!"


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: This could very easily be my personal favorite chapter. I just _loved _writing it. It's a little short, but I tried to make it sweet and meaningful, and slip a little plot twist in it (if that'll give you any hint as to what it's about). Sorry to keep you hanging for so long though. I hope this chapter met your expectations!**

* * *

The hospital was as white and cold as it had been last time I had been there. Shigure gently weaved me in and out of people waiting in the halls for some unknown reason. I wondered why Shigure seemed so flustered. He was moving quickly, rushing me. Why? What was there to worry about? Momiji had woken up and Shigure said the doctor confirmed he would be out of the hospital tomorrow.

But why did Momiji want to speak to me? This was intriguing and I thought about it most of the journey to the hospital.

When we finally stood outside Momiji's door, Shigure hesitated for a moment before opening it. I held my breath.

Momiji smiled. A big, genuine, glorious smile. My heartbeat slowed and for the first time since the first car-ride to the hospital with Shigure, I was absolutely positive he would live. It was so great to see him.

"Mizuki!" he said, slightly slower than usual, and very deliberately. "You came! And quicker than I imagined...." he seemed to lose his train of thought, as if he was struggling for words.

Shligure had told me on the way here that Momiji would be like this; talking slowly, scrambling for words. "He took a pretty hard blow to the back of the head. But he should get over it. It's more like...a side effect that will fade over time." Shigure explained.

I eyed the bandage that was still on his head. It was the only one remaining, save for the cast on his arm. I could see the scratches on his cheek; they didn't look deep, but they glared an angry red. I swallowed and closed my eyes. It seemed that I struggled for words too, and finally settled on a soft smile and a nod. I gently sat on the end of his bed. I heard the door close behind me and I looked to see that Shigure had left.

It was just me and Momiji now. I looked at him and he had his eyes closed, biting his lip. "Are you okay?" I asked uncertainly. I couldn't stand it if he was in any pain...

His eyes opened quickly, as if he hadn't realized that they were closed. His eyes were distant, almost misted over, a murky blueish color. "Oh, no, I'm fine. It's just...so annoying when you can't think of the words to say..."

I scooted closer to him and took his hand. How...horrible. I gulped back tears. "It's okay...I can wait."

After about a minute, he sighed and said very distinctly, "I didn't get hit by a car."

At this, my brain jerked. I hadn't even considered the possibility that he _hadn't _been hit by a car.

_But the nurse _had _said that the injuries hadn't lined up..._

"Wh...what?" I stammered.

"It wasn't a car..." Momiji said again, closing his eyes. I waited for him to collect his thoughts. He looked like he was straining. I was just about to tell him to stop and don't push to hard, when his eyes opened, and apologetically he said "I...I don't remember much, after he hit my head on the wall..."

_He? _Somebody, a human being, had done this to Momiji? Was it possible?

Momoji was still going. "I told him...and he had screamed. My arm hurt...and he-"

"Who?" I insisted. "Who did this to you? _Why?_" All the sudden, I felt defensive. Angry. I tried not to betray it in my voice.

Momiji took a deep breath. "Akito. He got mad when...when I told him I loved you."

I sharply inhaled, and my mind reeled, mainly focusing on one word, one question.

_What?_

A-Akito, my brain stuttered over the name. So it was true. He did really...hurt...

"What's wrong?" I heard Momiji ask; his voice seemed distant.

"N...nothing..." I said, but Momiji reached up to my face and wiped my cheek with one of his fingers. It was wet. I felt my face, and it was covered with tears. I was...crying. "Just...let me think." I said.

Momiji nodded.

But the only words that came to mind were _Oh my god..._

I had so many different feelings whirled up in my head right now...anger, confusion, shock, disbelief, worry, love...

_Love?_

Momiji had said...he had said...that...

he loved me.

He had never said that before. But did he mean it? I guessed so. Why would he lie about that? And in this state? No...he couldn't have. But, nobody had ever told me that they loved me before. Not even Shigure...

Love was a concept foreign to me. I had never felt it from someone. I had never_ felt_ it for someon-

But, wait. What about Momiji? Did I love him? Could I love him?

The answer was unmistakeable.

Yes.

"Oh..." I sighed, unintentionally.

"What?" Momiji leaned forward and cocked his head. "Are you alright?"

_He _was _asking_ me _if_ I was alright? That equation didn't add up. "Yes...I just, um..."

"Tell....me." Momiji said.

"I just..." I stammered again. Better get it over with. "I love you too."

To my surprise, Momiji laughed. "So all you got...out of what..I told you was the fact that... I had said that I love you?" When he saw my expression, he said. "Just kidding...sorry."

"Sorry for what?" I asked, wiping away the silly tears.

"For..." he paused. "Dumping all this on you. These aren't...exactly....the best circumstances. Don't worry about me. I promise I'll be fine."

I believed him heart and soul. But I kept crying.

Momiji leaned up to me and kissed both of my wet cheeks. "I...I....love you."

And I truly realized that I loved him back. This emotion, so different and strange, had planted itself in my heart from that first kiss, and now had sprouted and grown into a strong being all on it's own. Momiji took my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. I leaned down and whispered in his ear.

"You're the first person who's ever told me that."

* * *

**A/N: As always, thanks for reading and PLEASE review!**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: This chapter was fun, and a bit awkward to write. There may be some slight spoilers for any of you who haven't read the whole series yet, but nothing big. I hope you like it!**

* * *

On the quiet ride home, Shigure didn't ask any questions. I don't know what he thought of the tears that were still fresh on my face, but whatever it was, I didn't care. I was joyful; another weird emotion for me. But it was true; for some reason I was busting with happiness at the seams. It was like that dream you had when you were six years old, and you went into a candy store and the clerk said you could have as much as you want and you wouldn't get sick and you had unlimited money....

Wow, I _was _really giddy.

I half expected my head to answer back. But it didn't. There no longer was "the voice in my head"...it was me now. I think that part of me was the part that felt joy, love, happiness....

And hate. But I'll get to that later.

I felt different. Elated. Like I was floating, flying, in a hot air balloon above the sea. And in some weird way, I felt brand new.

Unlike most nights, Shigure didn't just drop me off. He walked me into the house, made dinner for me, and saw me off to bed. All silently. And he followed me wherever I went. I wondered why he didn't ask any questions. He had been so eager to get me to Momiji in the first place, but know he was almost totally the opposite. Did he really have no curiosity at all?

Or did he already know?

The only alone time I got was while I was in the shower. With the hot water (_too_ hot, but who was I to care?) pouring over my skin, it completed my sense of elation. The warm fuzziness in my heart had traveled to my skin.

When I curled up in the covers on my bed, I felt just like a kid again. Shigure stood over me like he was going to tuck me in. I closed my eyes and snuggled into sleep.

But I couldn't seem to relax. I felt like someone was watching me.

I opened my eyes, and there was Shigure, still staring at me. "What?" I asked politely.

Shigure blinked, as if coming out of a trance. "Nothing." He said, and smiled. I liked it when he smiled like that; really genuine and original. He nodded, as if assuring himself, then headed toward the door.

He caught himself on the door frame. "Mizuki?" he asked.

"Yes?" I said, turning to look at him.

"I-I just wanted to let you know that I love you." he said, looking down. I could picture him turning red.

"Me too." I said. I was now sure that he somehow knew about what Momiji had told me.

But right now, it didn't matter. I was happy.

And I was in love.

* * *

_I just wanted to let you know that I love you._

I woke up in the middle of the night with quite a different feeling.

Was I blind?

Had I been so joyous at the fact that Momiji _loved _me that I had totally overlooked the real issue? _My Momiji had been hurt. _

By a person I very well knew.

Suddenly, I was on my feet. My heart wasn't so warm and bubbly anymore. In fact, it was hot and boiling.

I started hyperventilating. How stupid could I really be? That I had to wait until four o'clock in the morning to figure out the problem.

Now I was at the front door. I put on my shoes, one by one, very deliberately, then threw on my coat. As a last though, I checked in Shigure's room. He wasn't there. Huh.

As soon as I was out of the front lawn, I started running. It was pretty chilly, but I didn't care. I didn't know where I was going. I didn't know why. What would I do when I got there? I couldn't answer that either. But I ran. I ran past Momiji's house, and Haru's house, and every other of my family's dwellings. I had one destination in mind. That's all I could focus on.

I pictured Momiji, stuttering for words. His closed eyes, biting his lip. Searching his brain. All because of _one thing _that _one person _had done. He was ruined. Maybe not forever, but I couldn't be sure. Would he ever put a full sentence together without struggle again? His eyes, would they always be so distant?

Would he play violin again?

I approached my destination, at the very center of the estate. I took the steps leading to the door. two at a time, keeping very quiet.

The dark halls were silent, surprisingly. I was lucky. Where was Kureno?

Thousands of questions boiled in my mind like water in a pot; I just ignored them. Whatever had driven me here wasn't about to stop. There was also a boiling in my chest, but hotter than water. It was lava, seeping out of my heart, spilling through every pore. I was hot, I could feel my face turn a bright, cherry red.

And then I stood before the door. And then I stopped.

Suddenly, I knew what it was like to be Momiji, to struggle for words. My thoughts felt like those little magnet words that stick on your fridge. There were so many words, but I just couldn't make a sentence.

_Hate. Love. Torture. Hope. Lava. Water. Struggle. Happiness. Pain. Healing. occasional "and" or "the". Rabbits. Birds. Violinists. Orphans. _

_Brothers. _

I grabbed the doorknob, and tenderly pushed inward.

At first it was dark, and silent. The only source of light was from a small window; moonlight spilled in and covered a patch of the wood floor. As my eyes adjusted, I turned to my left and saw a dent up on the wall that was the precise shape of Momiji's head...I swallowed back the sudden tears that sprung to my eyes, my dream vivid in my head.

Then I heard something. Two words, that I won't forget. A voice that was so familiar...

"Oh, _crap..."_

I looked over to the far right corner of the room and saw two faces, two bodies entwined...

A pair of eyes that I knew all to well.

I froze. My heart stopped beating for a long time as our eyes held contact for one moment that seemed like forever.

"Mizuki..." he said.

And then I was running again.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: This was...an awkward chapter to write, I guess. It was pretty tricky too. Funny thing though, the little "mirror scene" actually happened to my brother and I recently!...thanks for reading and enjoy! (oh...and review!)**

* * *

I ran all the way home, screaming, tears pouring from my face. Why this affected me so much, I would never know. I guess I was just so tender at the moment...

But that sight I would never forget.

Shigure's eyes, looking at me, filled with worry, screaming apologies at me. I wouldn't forgive him.

How stupid had I been to think he was perfect?

I reached our house and ran into my room. I took off my shoes and threw them at the wall, one by one, leaving mud stains. I imagined each one as the dent where Momiji's head had been. Images swum in my mind; they were goldfish in a pond, every now and then a memory glinted like gold on their scales.

Where was Chika? Where was my only "girlfriend"? Weren't friends supposed to be there when you were hurting, give you a hug, paint your nails? Maybe put in some dumb chic flick and coo over the lead role? Would I ever have that?

Where was Haru? A good, close friendship when you needed one. He would hug me, and tell me it would be alright, and not to worry. Explain me through this. I was overwhelmed; I just wanted a friend.

Where was Momiji? The man I loved. He was the heart of this. People did crazy things for the one that they loved, didn't they?

I collapsed onto my bed and bawled like I never had before. Like all the tears in my life had led up to this one night. Strangely, it almost felt good. You needed a good cry every now and then.

Before I could cry myself to sleep, there was a soft pressure at the end of my bed. I sighed, and my breath shook dangerously.

"So..." sighed Shigure. I felt his hand reach over to my back. I slapped it away with a loud _smack. _I hoped it had hurt.

"Listen, Mizuki, I'm so sorry. It's not what it looks like..."

"It seems pretty clear to me." I snapped, through sobbing breaths. I did _not _want to talk about this right now.

"I know what Akito did to Momiji..." Shigure said.

So he _had _known what really happened. No doubt Akito had told him. How long had he known? As soon as it had happened?

Shigure continued. "But you can't blame her. She's so scared that... this bond will break and the only thing that she can rely on in this world will disappear. She'll do anything to prevent it."

Was it just me or had Shigure said "she" three times in the last sentence? "Huh?" I asked.

Shigure cleared his throat. "Yes, Akito is a woman."

Oh.

OH.

_Oh. _

Well, that cleared things up a bit. At least I suddenly hated Shigue a _lot _less right now, to know that he wasn't some kind of gay pervert. Well, he still kind of was but...

"Do you know that feeling deep down, where you feel attracted to Akito?" Shigure started. I sat up and looked at him, and nodded. I remembered it from when I first met him. "Well, that's because of the curse. The zodiac curse. Akito is...well sort of is, the "god" in the curse. And we all look up to her and love her, even if we don't want to. _That's _what Akito is afraid of. Losing that love; because she needs it. It's the only steady, unchanging thing in her life that she can rely on...so she doesn't approve of Momiji loving you, for example. She thinks he loves you more than her. Almost the same thing happened about a year or two ago with Kyo and Tohru."

There was that name again. _Tohru. _Would I ever meet her, or for that matter, Kyo?

Shigure reached over and wiped one of the multitudes of tears from my cheek with his large thumb. This time I didn't stop him. I liked his touch. It was comforting. My anger was quickly drifting off. It was like...I don't know how to describe it. One second I was burning with rage, crying my eyes out. And the next, I was completely calm and mellow. I felt bi-polar. Actually, I felt tired.

Shigure kissed my forehead with his cinnamon-scent.

"Get some sleep now." he said. "Momiji comes home tomorrow."

Shigure didn't leave, but I laid back down and closed my eyes. Now my anger had completely passed, and I was overwhelmingly tired.

I slept a long, dreamless sleep.

* * *

"Wake up, sleepy head. Your sweetheart returns in an hour."

I opened my eyes and saw Shigure's face, so close to mine I could hardly see. He seemed back to himself, not the serious version he had been last night.

A stab of something slithered through my stomach, but I couldn't decipher the emotion because a much bigger one overshadowed it.

"An hour?" I asked. "Why didn't you wake me up earlier??"

"I'm sorry. I though you might need some sleep."

I hopped out of bed and hurried to the bathroom. "What's the rush?" mumbledShigure as he followed me.

I plugged in my straightener and turned it on. I sighed, knowing it was a rhetorical question.

Shigure was looking in the mirror intently. He bent his knees slightly so that he was the same height as me, then put his face next to mine; all while looking in the mirror. "Look," he said touching my nose by looking only in the mirror. Then he lifted his finger and touched his own nose. I had no idea what he was doing. "We look the same." he said slowly after awhile.

_Yes, Shigure, siblings usually looked the same._ But he still looked in the mirror in wonder, as if he had never seen anything like it.

I tried to touch his nose by looking only in the mirror, but I missed drastically and ended up touching his left cheekbone. You had no depth perception in a mirror.

Without warning, Shigure stood and laughed. "Well, you get ready then, miss. You must be excited."

Yes, I was excited. Partly because today was Thursday and so far I had missed almost three days of school.

And, in an hour, Momiji was coming home.

* * *

**A/N: So...I'm kinda dreading telling you guys this, but this story is almost over. Actually, well, this is the second to last chapter. Not including the epilogue. So, I'm sorry to say, but it's almost time to say goodbye. :( (What am I gonna do when I don't have the random review or story alert in my inbox to light up my day?)**

**A little bit of good news is that I am starting a new fanfiction! This one is about our good old Furuba as well...**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: So, it's finally here! The last chapter. I hope nobody is disappointed with the ending. **

**Well, technically this isn't _the _ending, because there is still an epilogue, which is already posted. So hopefully that will tie up some loose ends. **

**But, without further ado...  
**

* * *

Anxiously, I shuffled my feet. We were standing outside of Momiji's house, and the person in question should arrive any minute. Shigure kept one hand on my shoulder, the other hand in his pocket. Momo stood to my left, nearly rocking back and forth. And Momiji's mother (I still didn't know her name) was on her way here with Momiji.

It was just us; a grand welcoming party.

I was too excited and happy to be angry at Shigure right now. I felt like I was procrastinating, _I won't like him....later_, I thought.

A car appeared at the end of the road, seeming to crawl as slow as it could. My heart beat quickened. Momo giggled and started jumping up and down. Shigure tightened his grip on my shoulder.

And then it was in front of us. The car seemed to just sit there forever before Momiji's mom finally came out. She smiled, beamed, at us as she nearly _crawled_ to the passenger door and opened it.

And there he was. Momiji blinked at the bright sunlight, then turned and stood outside the car. He didn't even need crutches. _Well, he hadn't even hurt his leg, _I thought. He took in a big breath through his nose and said simply, "It's so nice to be home." The words flowed from his tongue smoothly. Suddenly, Momo could stand it no longer and hurried forward to give her brother a big, heartfelt hug around the waist. She looked up at him with her big brown eyes and said,

"Welcome home."

Shigure went next as he approached the boy and touched his nose (_Really, Shigure? _I thought.). "Welcome home, young one." He said, so dramatically. Momiji laughed a bit, though.

Now it was my turn. I slowly walked up to Momiji, and abruptly blushed. Momiji laughed at my sudden change of color, then drew me in with his one good arm and kissed me.

Wow. Just like that. In front of his sister, his mom, my brother....he kissed me. Long and slow. Nothing had ever felt so good in my entire life.

"A-hem."

Quickly, I ended the kiss (feeling guilty) and turned toward Shigure. Now I was flushing a deep red. I opened my mouth, but before I could say anything, Momiji jumped in. "Sorry..." he said sheepishly. To my surprise, everyone laughed.

"Young lovers..." Shigure said, with a roll of the eyes.

"Come on, let's head inside. It's chilly out here." Momiji's mother offered. I didn't think it was chilly, in fact, it was a bright sunny day. I could even hear some birds.

"Can we have some ice cream?" Someone asked. I thought it was Momo, but when I turned around I relized it had been Momiji.

He smiled and winked at me.

* * *

"It's okay, he won't run away." Momiji chided.

I reached cautiously toward the little grey rabbit that sniffed at my foot. I touched the tip of his ear, and he looked up at me with deep, dark brown eyes framed with thick lashes. A little girl bunny. She stomped her foot once like Thumper, then went back to eating the grass around me, which was dyed blue in the moonlight. I got a little braver. My fingers traced down her soft back smoothly, leaving little trails. At this, she hopped away, but not very far. Momiji laughed.

"They come from everywhere." he said. "Especially in the spring. The animals are attracted to us."

I nodded. We always had stray dogs around our house. And Shigue said his favorite thing about my coming here was that there was always birds in the morning. Birds, he said, helped with his writing.

It was freezing out, but I had never been warmer in my life. I was leaning into Momiji's left shoulder, his good arm wrapped around me and holding me close. Besides the chill, it was a beautiful night. The stars were bright in the sky; the Milky Way, splattered above us; spilt milk.

There was so much life out there, I realized. There were more stories, more love, more beauty out there. I had the sudden urge to discover them all.

Momiji leaned his head on top of mine, and his breath tickled against my scalp. A bigger, white rabbit, found his way over to his leg and was sniffing intently, his little nose bobbing up and down. Then, he placed both front paws up on Momiji's thigh, as if he was about to jump in his lap.

"Momiji! How about you let the girl go? It's freezing out, and it's getting late!" It was Momiji's mother, calling from the doorway.

I turned around and spyed her through the screen door. For a moment, I wondered if she would ever discover the truth.

Momiji grabbed my hand and helped me up. "I'll walk you home." he said. I gladly obliged. He held my hand the whole way back to my house.

On the porch, just as I expected, he lifted my chin with his good hand and kissed me goodnight. "Sleep well." he said.

I walked into the house almost in a trance. The light was on in Shigure's room, I guessed he was writing. I passed on by and headed to the bathroom.

After a warm shower, and I was in my pajamas, I slipped into my bed. After a few minutes, Shigure came in and sat at the end of my bed again. This habit was becoming almost stalker-like. But I didn't mind. I quickly fell asleep.

And dreamed about rabbits.


	17. Epilogue

**A/N: So...this is my goodbye. For now. But thank you, everyone who read and enjoyed my story! It's a miracle that I finished it at all!It's all thanks to you guys. I just added a quote to the bottom...it seemed fitting. I wish I had done it at first.  
**

**Epilogue**

_Two years later_

_*_

"Where are we going?" I asked for the umpteenth time.

"I can't tell you! Not yet. It's a surprise." Momiji said. I could almost picture his eyes glittering with excitement. Like they had been when he had secured this blindfold around my eyes. Now, we were in his car, who knows where, and apparently it was a surprise. We had been driving for almost five hours, and the blindfold had been secured on the _entire time. _Needless to say, my eyes ached and my forehead was very itchy.

But even still, I laughed. You never knew what to expect when Momiji had a surprise.

"How much longer?" I prayed it wasn't very much.

"Hmm..." the driver pondered. "About...fifteen seconds."

My heartbeat sped up. Fifteen seconds? That was much more than I had hoped for.

And then the time was up and the car halted. It seemed very still and quiet, as I had been so used to the sound of the engine purring under me.

"Okay." Momiji said. "I'll take it off." He reached his long fingers behind my head and loosened the cloth.

I gasped. I saw a beautiful house, nestled in woodlands, painted a warm shade of golden brown; like a giant, roasted marshmallow. Trees surrounded the place, and since it was autumn, leaves littered the yard, so that everywhere I stepped a light _crunch _shortly followed. There was a large deck on the house, though the house itself wasn't very big. And there were the sounds of birds, a sound that I had grown to love with all my heart.

Momiji took my hand and led me up to the door. "You'll never guess who lives here." He said.

"Who?" I asked, but he didn't answer. He just extended one finger and gracefully pressed the doorbell, never taking his eyes off of me.

A few seconds later, a woman answered the door. She had long, brown hair that reached almost to her hips, and wide aquamarine eyes. A gray tabby cat wound around her ankles and looked up at me, purring. For a second, the girl's face was expressionless, and then, when she saw who it was, her features lit up and she nearly sprang from the doorway.

"Momiji!" She said, wrapping him in a tight embrace. He was almost a head (or even two) taller than her.

"Hi, Tohru! It's _so _good to see you!" He said.

So, _that's _who lived here. My eyes widened. So _this _was Tohru, the mystery girl. My heart fluttered at the thought of finally meeting her. She was so..._beautiful..._

Then, she turned her bright eyes towards me, and just her gaze gave you that fuzzy warm feeling that somebody, somewhere, at least cared for you.

"Mizuki." She said in an almost awed tone of voice. "So, you're the lucky one?"

Before I could answer, a man appeared at the doorway. "Tohru, who--" He started, but stopped.

He had bright orange hair, and his deep eyes forked me over, seeming to take me apart piece by piece. "So, you're Mizuki. You're _her."_ he said, in a way that almost felt insulting.

I twiddled with the ring around my left finger. Yes, indeed, I was _her. _

I looked up at Kyo, at a loss for words. My family was now complete, and I could feel it.

Tohru took my hand and led me inside. It was cozy and warm, and at once felt like home. She lead me to a comfy couch. Well, Momiji and I sat on the couch while Kyo and Tohru sat across from us, in a loveseat.

My first thought was _Well, this is awkward. _

Tohru jumped right in. "So, when is the wedding again?"

Momiji looked at me, as if asking me if I would answer. I wouldn't, my lips were nearly frozen; I was still surprised."It's near the end of March," Momiji said. He left out the detail that it was the very day that he had been in the hospital and first admitted that he loved me. It would be three years on the dot.

For a few minutes, we carried on some small talk. Well, Momiji did all the talking. I nodded and smiled at appropriate times.

Then, after a few moments of silence, Kyo spoke to me for the first time since he had seen me. "You know," he said, a little unsurely. "You really do look a _lot_ like your brother. Especially in person."

I smiled, and for the first time, spoke.

"You don't know how often I hear that."

* * *

_Momiji: I wanna pinch that Kyo!_

_Haru: Why not pinch him tomorrow...?_

_Momiji: Huh? But I can't do it in front of Tohru. At least that jerk gave me something new to dream about. I'm gonna find myself the best girlfriend in the world soon. Then I'll bring her to him so I can show her off. So...Tohru has to be happy. I want to see her smile. From now until forever. _

_-Fruits Basket, Volume 23_

_

* * *

  
_

**A/N: And that concludes the story of the Orphan and the Violinist. **

***sobs***

**but on the bright side, check out my new story, Tora which I just started. It's another love story, but it's also a lot of fun!**

**Once again, THANK YOU SO MUCH to everybody who read and enjoyed **_**The Orphan and the Violinist.**_

**Toodles for now! :D**

**-Mickaroo**


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